An ancient New Guinea myth says the human race originated from the first man making love to a stalk of sugar cane. But in modern times, our love affair with sugar has created a health crisis. The average American consumes nearly 23 teaspoons of sugar a day, three to four times the American Heart Association’s recommended daily limit. Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease have all been linked to excessive consumption. Diane and her guests discuss the history of sugar, why we crave it, how our bodies evolved to process it and why it could be making us sick.

Guests

Richard Cohen

author of “Sugar Love (A Not So Sweet Story)” in the August 2013 edition of National Geographic magazine, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, and author of seven books, including the memoir “Sweet and Low” and “The Monsters,” which will be released in October 2013.

Dr. Richard Johnson

professor of medicine at University of Colorado Denver and author of “Fat Switch” and “Sugar Fix.”